As much as I don't want to admit it, the new Mouse on Mars EP is just going through the motions. See, it's not that Agit Itter It It is all that bad; by anyone else's standards it's pretty excellent work. But after such a long, distinguished string of releases, culminating in last year's much-lauded Idiology, the five tracks contained here are kind of a letdown. Most Mouse on Mars albums use the ideas of the previous one as a launching point for the exploration of new sonic territory. And while the sounds used to construct the songs on Agit Itter It It do bear a strong resemblance to those on Idiology (and were likely created during the same sessions), they've clearly been made b-sides for a reason.

"Milleader" is somewhat interesting, finding Andi Toma and Jan St. Werner juggling jagged samples, bleating synths, programmed beats and assorted other noises with the expertise of first-class Powerbookers. Unfortunately, this isn't the case elsewhere. "Untitled States Of" is built around a distorted keyboard loop and a few repeated guitar riffs. As the song progresses, a bass part and sequenced percussion find their way into the mix while assorted layers of noise hover above. Problem is, the beats holding it together are somewhat repetitive and generic (at least by the standard set in the duo's previous work), and the occasional pitchshifting and feedback fails to make that distinction between any old IDM track and Mouse on Mars mastery.

More telling still: by far the most interesting track on Agit Itter It It, entitled "Moral Sack It," is no more than a minute long. A handful of trumpets enter and fade, leaving behind garbled electronic feedback in their wake like a path of slime following a snail, before giving way to the fractured beat that begins the next song. While little more than a transition, this is the only moment on the EP that truly demonstrates the kind of ingenuity present in the majority of Mouse on Mars' work.

In fact, the real highlight here is not the EP at all, but the live seven-inch that comes packaged with the disc's first pressing. Toma and St. Werner have gained a reputation as the best live performers in the electronic world, offering live instrumentation and an intriguing visual setup rather than relying on the standard guy/table/laptop scenario that characterizes most IDM shows. The addition of live drums, vocals from Dodo Nkishi, and other instrumentation to the usual laptops and sequencers allows these guys to reinterpret their work in ways that most electronic acts cannot. But they do more than just add a voice and manipulate some beat structures. The passion and energy driving the live version of "Actionist Respoke" here is undeniably human, replacing the alien aesthetic of the original with something different, yet oddly familiar. Though a live recording is typically a weak substitute for honest-to-god new music, these two cuts work better than anything presented on the EP.

Perhaps in the end, the best way to explain Agit Itter It It is the old-fashioned way: it's an EP. And like most EPs, Agit Itter It It ultimately gets branded with the dubious "for completists only" stamp. If you don't already have a vast collection of Mouse on Mars' proper albums, your well-earned funds will be better spent elsewhere.

-David M. Pecoraro, January 11th, 2002